Agricultural implement



y 3, 1945- T. BLAYDES 2,379,731

AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT Filed ma 31,1945 2 Sheets-Shet 1 July 1945f F. T. BLAYDES AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT Filed May 31, 1945 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented July 3, 1945 UNITED STATES PA AGRICULTURAL IMPLEMENT FrederickT, Blaydes, Cantomllh, assignor to In ternational Harvester Company, a corporation of NewJersey Application May 31, 1943, Serial N o. 489,151

I 2 Claims. (o1. sir-42y 1 This invention relates to agricultural implements and, more particularly, to implements utilizing a transverse rotary memberor rod adapted to travel below root groWth.I I w I I I An object of the invention is to provide animthe soil level and dislodge plement ofthe type mentioned, for example, a rod weeder, mounted in its entirety on a tractorfand deriving power therefrom for the rotation of the I provide a novel row crop rotary rod.

Another object is to harvester of the tractor-mounted type utilizing a transverse rotary rod to dislodge the plants from the ground. I I

A furtherobject is to provide a unitary rowcrop harvester having means for dislodging a] plant from the soil and means for disposing the vegetation in one or These and other objects will become clear from the following detailed description when read in more rows upon the ground.

conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:. I

Figure 1 is a view in side elevation of a tractor with one rear wheel removed and illustratingan' implement embodying the features of the invention mounted thereupon;

present and 38 are connected by an endless chain 39.

Figure 2Iis a plan view of the mechanism shown in Figure 1; I ,I

Figure 3.is a front elevation of the tractor and implement shown in Figures land 2; and

Figure 4 is a detail partly in section, showing a portion of the mechanism rod is driven. I

In the drawings, the numeral Ill designates the body portion of a, tractor having dirigible front wheels II and rear drive Wheels l2. The front wheels II are steered by a. steering mechanism I3 convenient to an operators' station I3. Supported by the tractor and projecting laterally from opposite sides thereof are transverse tool bars I4 and I5, only a Portion of the bar I5 on the left side of the tractor being shown in the drawings. Toolbar tractor supports an implement rig I 6 designed to harvest beans and the like. The implement rig I6 comprises laterally spaced pairs of vertically spaced, rearwardly and downwardly extending, parallel link H and I8, the forward ends of which are pivotally mounted in brackets I9 affixed at spaced points .to the bar I4. The rear ends of links l1 and I8 are pivoted upon laterally spaced brackets 20, to the lower ends of which are affixed longitudinally extending tool beams 2|, each having a downwardly and forwardly curved rear end 22. Brackets 20 are maintained by which the rotary I4 on the right side of .the I of course, to protect that in laterally spaced relation by an angle member 23 aflixed to beams 2| by bolts 24, which also serve I I Additional I strength isprovided by abracing member having to attach beams 2| tobracket 2U.

a portionI Z5 afiixed by bolts: .26 :to the central portion of angle member-23 diverging arms 21 ward ends of the beams 2|. Also attached to membert23 by bolts 26 isa rearwardly extending provided with spaced U-shaped member 29 bosses 36, inwhich, is journaled a transverse shaft 3|, the ends, of, which are supported in openings in spaced brackets 32 attached by bolts 33 to beam 2|. Betweenth'e arms of theU- shaped member 29a sprocket 34 is keyed toshaft 3|, and at the outer end of shaft 3| asp'rocket 35 I I ,is also keyed thereto. I I portions 22 of beams 2| are provided with. bosses y 36 in which a transverse rod 31 of square cross- I I section is journaled for rotation. A portion of 5 rod @131 projects through outer boss 36, and the.

with a sprock- I The I downwardly curved projecting end thereof is provided et 38 clearly shown in Figure 4. Sprockets 35 Sprocket 34 is driven by a chain 40 extending rearwardly to a sprocket 4| freely rotatable on a stub shaft 42 afiixed to a standard 43 mounted,-

by. means of bolts 44, on=the rear axle housing I Sprocket 4| is held against. on stubshaft 42 by a collar 46 keyed to the shaft. Chain 40 is driven by con- 45 of the tractor. lateral displacement tact with a sprocket 41 keyed to the rear axle 48, upon the ends of which rear drive wheels I 2 are mounted. Since drive wheels 12 rotate in a clockwise direction with the movement of the tractor, it is clear that sprockets 4|, 35, and 38,

and, therefore, rod 31, rotate counterclockwise. Thus rod 31 a drive wheels I2; that is, when the tractor is in motion, the rod 31 revolves, but, when the tractor is stopped, the rod 31 also becomes stationary. Since the rod 31 is to travel below the soil level, the ends of curved portion22 of beams 2| are provided with opener shovels 49 adapted to penee trate into the, ground and carry rod 31 with them.

inner shovel 49 is attached directly to; I 2|, the outer shovel is attached to the While the the beam front of a. housing 50 enclosing the sprocket 38.

ground and is attached at its upper end to beam 2 I, as by welding. The function of housing 50 is,

portion of the drive mechanism extending below the surface of the ground and to prevent its fouling by soil or plant 1 growth. e

and having forwardly, V aflixed by bolts 28 to the for- ,I I I rotates only with the turning of.

-shown and described, it should beunderstoods21 dfbfackb Twrwardw of said rear axle, a

The plant'foliage above the ground is divided by dividers affi xed to the forward ends of beams 2| in advance of rod 31. Rod 31 is adapted to travel below one or more plant rows, for example, of beans, to dislodge the roots there- 5 of and bring the entire plant to the surface. In order to bring the dislodged plants together and deposit them in a single row on the surface of the ground; A U-shaped' member '52 isaffiXed, as by welding; to the curved portion: 22iof each' beam 2|. These members have rearwardly converging arms or turning rods 53 which direct!- the plants into a single row. While the equip,-, ment for only one side of the tractorhas been' that the opposite side of the tractormayebe similarly equipped. 1

In order to move the implement to and from ground-working position and to adjust the depth of operation of the rod 31 in'the ground; a lifting mechanism is provided comprising a lever 5E pivoted at 55*upona' 'quadrant 5e afiixed by bolts-t'f-to'the body of the tractor-. Lever-"54 is prov-idedwith conventional detent mechanism" andisin reach-ofa theoperator from his-station l3": Integral with the lever 'M is -aforwa'rdly extending ar-m- 58 connected by- *a rod- 5 9 with a lug*6fl aflixed'to tlie 'innerbraoket 20.

It shou1d novv' be clear-that a novel and effident-implement has ben provided for =the'-'harvesting-pf bea-nsand like rowcrop's'. It should a likewise be clear that the implement-shown and described may function equally wellas a con ventional rod weeder. In such casegbf course; the dividers 5 l and turning rods 53' inay-be elimihated} since the function of -"a rod weede'r" is merely todestroy root growth. The=advantages ofa method- 'such 'as that hereinabove' describe'd for mounting and-driving a rotary rod become clear-whenit is considered that such rotaryrods have previously beendrawn'behind-a tractor and 1 have depended for 1o owerupon'supporting wheels: and theslik'e, which were-Jsubj ect to slippage; and failed to -transmit' uniform power'to the rotary rod."

Having-nowdescribed my invention in its pre ferre'd formpit should be understood '*thae -modi:-

ficationsmay be made therein without dep arting a from "the spirit of the invention: or the scope ofthe appended f claims. v

What is' clai'medis's lFTh'e combinationwith a tractor: having i said rear axle, a sprocket wheel on said rod, a bracket 'on the tractor adjacent said rear axle,

an idling sprocket wheel rotatably supported on weirdly' extendingr iendless chain drivingly connecting said" idlingsprocket wheel and the sprocket-wheelronrsaid rod, and a sprocket wheel on said rear axle arranged to drivingly engage theperip'hery of said chain, whereby the direcdirection f; ;,rotationaof saiddrive: wheels. 1

2.,I'he rcombinatione with' a tractorawhavinge dirigibler-"front WhfiEISFJL transverseirear axle:

and rear drive wheels, of vertically spacedi-sube" stantially :pa-ral-lel Jinks :suppor-ted uponthe "forwardportionrofthe tractor: and-extendingrear-awardlyt therefrom, aecultivatorrig-r; supporteda upon said'links.at;therfreeendssthereof for wer tical movement, raising and .loweringameansv:

mountedyupon the side- -of-;the":tractoreand hon netted .';tosaid! rig'forueffecting; vertical 'movee' mentgthereof ahtransverse rotary :rod -mounted on said rig to travel below the surface of-ithe's ground in: advance'zofri said' rear axle torzuproot vege tat-ion; :wi-ndrow means attachedito said rig: adjaeenta satdg. rod and comprising; rearwardlyr converging-Farms":anrangednto 'receiVe-them/ege tatieni; uprooted -bywisaid rod fand- :de'posit it 'ini'a row; a sproeket wheel-onasaidrrodda'bracket onfi the tractor adjacent' -said rear axle, antzidlinga sprocket wheel rotatably supported onssaidbracket rearwardly son said .rear axle,r"a forwardlyextending? endlessohain= drivingly connectingi'l saididlingsprocket wheekandthesprocket'wheelrs on said rod, and a sprocketewheel on said irearr axle,- arrangedato 1 drivingly zengagelthe'zperiphery of said chain, whereby the direction of l'rotationn of saiderod is the reverse-of the direction :0? ro-i tation of sai-dzdrive:wheelsir;

r FREDERiGK-sa'. senses; 

